eat dandelions!

13.1.13

i've always loved the number 13, perhaps it was a lifelong foreshadowing of my love for the potentially fantastic year ahead...

I could use a really good year!

I've rang it in with the flu and solitude. honestly, I'm ok. Its been a perfect excuse to hibernate and enjoy the stillness I prefer in winter. No pressure stillness. It's important sometimes.

Anyway. Now that we're in the first new moon time of the year, I finally feel in the New Year spirit. I have a few intentions, and one of them is to write more, and another is to get back into the action part of the love i have for amazing food. I am excited to be moving back to Baltimore this year, and excited to get into the big, blue, bright, beautiful kitchen I'll be sharing with some wild women.

I've been sort of "in transit" for the past couple of years. Well, I've been in transit for longer than that, but I literally haven't had space to myself for 2 years since I left Chicago. Often, I spend only 3 or so days in one place, moving on quickly, rotating between the same places and different ones. I'm not sure how I made my life this way, but it sure makes preparing food difficult. My kitchen appliances have been in storage. I'm excited to break them out of confinement!

I've had the flu since the New Year started, and so I've put off my move. Now that I'm finally feeling up to the task, I'm packing and getting happy, thinking about the things I've been wanting to do for so long but haven't had the space to do them in. This year is a year where I prioritize stability. For me, novelty is normal, and routine is the wild frontier. I'm different, and I always will be, but I would like to conform in the ways that I believe will serve me. Stability, stability, stability. Whatever that can mean... Anyway. I'm imagining champagne truffles, vanilla cardamom truffles, pretty pretty chocolates with flower petals pressed in. Wild new ferments, perhaps something boozy, since I'll have a place to rest it for awhile! I remember reading a recipe for ginger champagne I'd really like to try. Vinegar would be great, since I use it in sauces so often, I'd love to make my own. Plus the regulars, kombucha, kimchi... And I'd love to experiment with health and beauty products, soaps, lotions, scrubs. things i love. teas and tinctures, maybe. Maybe I'll be in one place long enough to HAVE A GARDEN again! I would really love that, but let's not get ahead of ourselves....

27.12.11

13.12.11

so, like, i've been traveling a lot. for forever, but most recently, I went on an impromptu trip down the coast. when i'm traveling, i DO NOT let myself get caught up with truck stop food. usually i keep some dried fruits and nuts in the car, and a secret glove compartment stash of some nice dark chocolate. i still do all that, but i learned to make this DELICIOUS ELIXIR OF LIFE. i'm not kidding.

delicious elixir of life:

a sweet, spicy tea (i suggest Celestial Seasonings Bengal Spice or Organic India Red Chai Masala Tulsi Tea, both are decaf, both are delicious. bengal spice is more delicious to me, but the tulsi tea has the added benefits of Holy Basil. on a side note, holy basil is an adaptogen and i kinda think we'd all benefit from taking adaptogen herbs regularly. holy basil is one of my most treasured plant loves.)

1 tsp coconut butter or coconut manna (this is not just the oil- it has opaque fleshy butter in it, both links take you to the same actual STUFF, made by different brands. this ingredient is high in calories to keep your energy up, give you enough fuel to keep going. it is high in GOOD saturated fat! don't be scared of the fat content! its those carbs in all the nutritionally-empty foods that make fat bodies, not this good stuff! so don't be afraid. plus its delish)

1 tsp Royal Jelly, Bee Pollen and Propolis in Raw Honey. (important: DO NOT PUT THIS IN SUPER HOT WATER! wait til the tea is warm, or don't boil the water up high rolling-like in the first place. the enzymes in the raw bee products should not be heated too high, or they lose the greatness of their functioning. the living enzyme action. ALSO if you can find someone local to get this stuff from, awesome, do it. also, you can purchase the different things separately and mix and match what you love. or you can buy it all together, which seems like the most decadent and incredible superfood known to me. its truly a high vibrational food. it ZINGS.)

optional:
a heaping tablespoon of Chia seeds, for extra protein and texture.
coconut or almond milk to taste (for more treaty creaminess. you might like that. i often do.)

there you have it.
if you travel, pack these things and get the hot water wherever, and you've got the most incredibly delicious and nutritious elixir to keep you going forever.

here's a song that has nothing to do with this food, but i love the video and the voice.

technically, a person could eat only bee foods and thrive forever. and in all seriousness, if you want to have a simple diet and stop thinking about food forever, and just totally feel amazing, eat bee pollen, royal jelly, and propolis, in raw honey. you could supplement with spirulina, chlorella, and/or kelp, for variation, but not necessary.

Bee Pollen contains at least 22 amino acids, 18 vitamins, 25 minerals, 59 trace elements, 11 enzymes or co-enzymes, 14 fatty acids, 11 carbohydrates and approximately 25 % protein. Bee pollen is extremely rich in carotenes, which are metabolic precursors of vitamin A. It is also high In B complex and vitamins C, D, E and Lecithin. Bee pollen contains over 50 % more protein than beef, yet its fat content is very low. It is also an excellent vegetarian source of protein typically possessing more of the essential amino acids, pound for pound, than animal proteins like meat, eggs, and dairy products.

Daily use of pollen also ensures an intake of the more obscure, yet essential trace minerals that may be lacking from commercially grown produce and are often not included in vitamin mineral supplements. Most of us are unaware that the nutrients supplied by cooked fruits, vegetables and meats are not considered fresh because their enzymes have been exposed to high heat. Even taking a multivitamin can't offer the superior nutrient array of raw and fresh food.

(i took this from here, but if you do a little searching, you'll find info all over the place.)

28.10.11

John Carroll, an assistant New York State attorney general investigating rebating practices there, has said rebates pose “an inherent conflict of interest” in school feeding programs because they favor highly processed industrial foods. In cases where schools pay a food service company a flat rate to provide meals, the companies are not required to disclose the rebates they collect. In those cases, Carroll recently told a U.S. Senate Panel, rebates tend to drive up the cost of food, cheating children out of nutrition they might otherwise have on their lunch trays.

It is unclear how a conference that features exhibits by Coca-Cola, General Mills, and other processed food and junk-food giants could ever make a positive impact on Americans' health.
....
So at every step of the way, the ADA is involved in counseling and credentialing the people who are giving out dietary advice to the American public, in schools, nursing homes, doctors' offices, colleges, and many other places in between. But their dietary advice is heavily influenced by corporate sponsors like those listed above …

19.4.11

kimchi is one of my favorite things to eat! now that i've begun making it, i have been eating a whole lot. its all probiotic, salty, spicey goodness. i read a few different recipes before i started, and i've made 4 or 5 batches now, and have refined what i like. namely, adding cilantro. hey! here ya go:

you need a giant glass jar or many small ones or a bowl you can cover for the duration of fermentation. also a colander is essential, sesame.

My recipe contains cilantro, which is a non-traditional ingredient and will affect the flavor. the other ingredients are all traditional. I do not use fish or shrimp paste/oil which are often found in traditional recipes. other variations i've seen add sugar, or sweet fruits like apple or pear. often if you buy kimchee at asian markets, there will be MSG in it.

do what you see fit, do what you like! i will tell you how i do what i do. its easy, its beautiful, its fermented. it won't go bad, its delicious, and its full of probiotic goodness. when you eat it, i suggest adding a fat, like sesame oil or avocados, as it will then feel and taste and be a more balanced food. kimchee can be eaten alone, or added to other foods like soups, noodles, salads.... enjoy, enjoy, enjoy!

Jacqueline Dandelion's Cilantro Kimchee

ingredients:

(you can use any crispy/hard vegetables you like. my first batch, i used a ton. now i use just what i like)

red cabbage (1/2 a head makes enough to last a week if i eat some every day. a whole head makes too much for my jar. if you have space, do it up) (chopped)

daikon radish (chopped in big pieces)

green onions (chop)

fresh cilantro (chop)

fresh ginger (mince)

fresh garlic (mince)

korean chili powder (do yourself a favor and get the korean kind. i did it with regular american dry chili, and it was not as good. just watch out if you go to a korean grocery and avoid the spices with msg. read labels, yo! always!)

salt

water

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so, toss the cabbage and daikon in a bowl, cover with warm water and salt. how much salt? well, i eyeball it. you're making brine here, so you need enough salt to pull moisture and start pickling the vegetables right away. i fill the bottom of a mug til it seems to me that "hey, thats a lot of salt!" and then i mix it with warm water and soak the veggies. its probably about 1/4 cup or a little more of salt. and enough water to cover. this is when you brine any hard veggies you want to use. i prefer red cabbage over traditional napa cabbage because its firmer and crunchier and prettier. let it sit for at least an hour.

during the brining time, you can mince the ginger and garlic, and chop up the cilantro and green onions. set aside the green babies, and mix the garlic and ginger with about as much red chili pepper as you used salt in the brine, and warm water to make a paste.

i use a whole head of garlic, and about an equal amount of ginger

if you have a food processor, you can make the paste by combining these ingredients in it. then you don't have to mince as finely, cus the machine will do it for you!!! i've done it either way and it doesn't make much difference. i guess it depends on whether you'd rather sit and chop for a long while, or if you'd rather do more dishes.

ok, so its been an hour, right? those veggies look brined, right? they're all crisp and super salty. so, drain them over a bowl to catch the brine. keep it, you may need it. ok. rinse the veggies THOROUGHLY!!! if you don't, they'll be so salty you will cringe. i did that one time. i couldn't eat the kimchi straight, i had to make it into other things. so trust me, rinse it! keep that brine! ok. next.

this is the fun part.

in as large a container as you can, mix everything! the brined veggies, the cilantro, scallions, and the pasty goodness you just made.

mix it up! i use my hands, cus its fun and efficient!
look how pretty:

yum.

so now, put it into jars, or one huge jar, or a bowl, but that's not preferable. a cylinder is best.
pack it in tight and if its not watery, cover with the brine you saved til the veggies can be pressed down and be covered with brine. but don't over-do it. remember, its salt water you're dowsing them with.

weigh down the veggies so they're not hitting the air. its not like super crazy important to make sure no milimeter of veg surface is exposed, but do your best to keep the veggies submerged. i've found the easiest way for me to do this is to fill a tupperware/leftover tub container thing with water or brine, and push it down into the veggies, or weigh it down with a plate. its only important the first day, it seems, anyway.

so, leave the whole thing out somewhere room temperature and not too bright, for 24 hours or more. the longer you leave it out, the faster it will ferment. its still going to ferment in the fridge. i leave mine out for probably a day and a half, then fridge, and find it delicious on the 3rd or 4th day, and all days thereafter. it lasts me about a week, if i'm the only one eating it.

yum. enjoy!!!

cilantro is my own addition. i love cilantro and i figured it would be good, and i was right! you can do whatever you want! maybe you hate cilantro! whatever, dude. Use what veggies look good, use herbs you like. or just use the green onions, or none at all.

kimchi is awesome for so many reasons. once you've got the chili powder and a bunch of salt, the other ingredients are super cheap. you don't need green onions or cilantro, really. you could make it with just cabbage, garlic and ginger. garlic+ginger+chili powder are essential, i think. otherwise it would be some other fermenty vegatable thing and not kimchee anymore.

i have found that adding avocado when you eat it is fantastic. i also make a noodle dish with it that i'm pretty into. maybe i'll tell you about it later. <3

30.3.11

throw your veggie ends into the freezer- anything chopped off the good parts, anything going bad but not all the way there yet, skins, tops, scraps.
when you have a bunch, make broth! all you do is boil this stuff in water for awhile, like 10 minutes or so, more if its not flavory enough, and then strain.

i suggest throwing in extra garlic, and i suggest not using too much ginger in your broth (bitterness).

you can then use the broth as a drink, or to make a soup, or to boil pasta or grains, or to add to anything savory you're making where you would add water. increasing the life of your veggies. sweet.

17.3.11

i went to the H-mart again the other day. H-mart is a korean grocery chain. there is probably one near you, if you live in the US. there may not be. but i bet there is some kind of asian market where you can peruse and find things you've never eaten before...

anyway. this time i bought a bunch of greens and a bunch of mushrooms. tat soi is one of my most favorite greens in the world. i ate it first when i worked on my friend margaret's farm near pittsburgh, pa, and she was growing it. it was SO good. so rich and dark and delicious. shiny and dark. spinachy. anyway, yes, i had to buy it when i saw it.

also "chinese celery" which is basically just leafy celery rather than stalky celery.

i also had some cilantro and some pak choi.

one red onion began the pot, i browned it with some coconut oil and salt. then i added ginger, water, red chili powder, palm sugar, tamari sauce, garlic, and the greens, all chopped up. i also put in shiritake noodles, which are made from yams and are delicious and weird.

i bought a bunch of mushrooms, so i put them in, too.

also, i had gotten these "soy puffs" to try. they're like, puffed tofu. i threw them in the pot, too.

in my bowl, i put a dash of each umeboshi vinegar and toasted sesame oil, and sprinkled on some nutritional yeast, because i love nutritional yeast.

they are so very creamy and flavorful, i'm proud of them! vegan white chocolate is coming along! no soy, either. chocolate-making is delightful. today, i'll be working on finishing the other flavors i began last night, coconut-oolong, and korean-red-chili, and i make make some separate red chili candy that is not chocolatey, just delicious and spicy sweet. candy candy candy.